


The Anti-Fairy Tale

by helsinkibaby



Category: 21 Jump Street
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-04
Updated: 2003-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 11:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marta's no fairytale princess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Anti-Fairy Tale

**Author's Note:**

> For the LiveJournal Multifandom1000 challenge, fairytales.   
> Spoilers for "Come from the Shadows".

Marta Carrabus knows that she is no fairytale princess. After all, fairytale princesses are supposed to be beautiful, ethereal creatures, blonde and slim and perfect. They are not supposed to be El Salvadoran refugees, living illegally in America, having had to flee her home for the crime of teaching English to her people. They are not supposed to be politically aware, much less politically active, and they are not meant to be working in a cafeteria for a living.

Marta is no princess, but she thinks that might be ok, because Doug Penhall is certainly no-one’s idea of a fairytale prince. Not conventionally handsome, could stand to lose a few pounds, can be quick-tempered, impulsive, and from what she knows of his family history – father an alcoholic, a mother who committed suicide when he was a child, a brother who ran away – he has issues enough without becoming involved with her.

They are neither of them characters from a fairytale, but she thinks they may be a fairytale couple anyway; two people who met and connected while he investigated a case where she worked, ended up arresting her before the mess was all sorted out. And he’s not everyone’s Prince Charming, but he is hers, the funny guy who asked her to teach him to say “lasagne” in Spanish, who, when he tried to tell her that she had pretty eyes, ended up telling her that she had pretty eggs. Who mixed her up when she spoke English to him, told her that she mixed him up too.

The Prince Charming who, having known her for five days, asked her to marry him so that she wouldn’t be deported.

She refused at first, because the whole idea was crazy, ludicrous, would never work. But he didn’t give up, talked her into it, with words as romantic to her as any fairytale proposal.

“I think this could be a really good thing. Look at the possibilities. We get married. We get to know each other. Maybe, possibly, we fall madly in love. We have kids, and grandkids . . . a house, with a sun porch. I think we could be really happy together… I don't want to lose you.”

Moved to honesty, she told him, “I don’t want you to lose me either,” and seeing her wavering, he pressed his advantage.

“You're scared. I'm scared. We can be scared together. All you gotta do is say yes. Come on, I know it's in there.”

What else could she do, but say yes?

It was no fairytale wedding, but it was enough for them, and now she stands beside him in the courtroom, this place that has haunted her dreams, her nightmares, for so long. He stands beside her, as he said he always would, his presence solid and comforting and real, and she wonders who she ever thought she could get through this without him. She tells him as much, because she can see the fear in his eyes, and it’s suddenly very important to her that she tell him everything that’s in her heart.

“You know, I've imagined this place . . .the tables, the flags, where the judge sits. And I knew I would always be here and they would be deciding about me. And every time I imagined it, you were never there. Reality is not so bad.”

He smiles, her Prince Charming, and the hearing begins, and the evidence is presented, and Marta lets herself believe that things will work out as Doug promised her last night that they would, that she will be able to go home with him and begin their life together. That the anti-Prince and the anti-Princess will nonetheless get the fairytale ending.

Then the judge begins to speak, and when she hears what he says, the world starts to spin in slow motion, only returning to normal when Doug holds her, grabs her as if he never wants to let her go, and she holds him the same way.

He is crying, and so is she, and their fairytale lies shattered around them.


End file.
